Foreign Drug Courier Arrested as Military Warns of Cross-Border Support for Boko Haram, ISWAP

Foreign Drug Courier Arrested as Military Warns of Cross-Border Support for Boko Haram, ISWAP

By Tada Jutha,  Maiduguri

The arrest of a Chadian woman allegedly transporting illicit drugs and other prohibited items to Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters has once again drawn attention to the growing challenge posed by cross-border support networks fuelling insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.

Security experts have repeatedly warned that the involvement of foreign nationals in terrorist logistics complicates counter-insurgency operations, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin, where Nigeria shares porous borders with Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The movement of drugs, weapons, finances and other supplies across these borders enables terrorist groups to sustain attacks, recruit fighters and evade security operations, making regional cooperation essential to ending the insurgency.

Against this backdrop, troops of Sector 3, Northeast Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK), have arrested a 48-year-old Chadian national, Mrs Rachael Samuel, for allegedly transporting illicit drugs, alcoholic beverages and other prohibited substances believed to be destined for Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists operating in the Lake Chad Islands.

The Acting Media Information Officer of Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Mohammed Goni, disclosed in a statement that the operation marked another major breakthrough in the military’s campaign to dismantle the logistics networks sustaining terrorist activities across the North-east.

According to him, the suspect was intercepted on Thursday during an intelligence-led operation along the Maiduguri-Monguno highway while travelling towards Kwatan Doron Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.

He identified the suspect as a Chadian citizen from Kelo in Chari-Baguirmi Province, adding that preliminary investigations indicate the recovered items were intended for terrorist elements operating within the Lake Chad region, which spans Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

Items recovered from the suspect included seven compressed bundles of suspected cannabis weighing about 30 kilogrammes, two 10-litre containers of hydromercuric chloride, popularly known as “Suck and Die”, one carton containing 48 bottles of dry gin, 61 bottles of herbal alcoholic beverages, a mobile phone, two Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, cash and other personal effects. The military estimated the street value of the seized items at several millions of naira.

Captain Goni said the suspect remains in military custody while the recovered exhibits have been secured pending transfer to the appropriate law enforcement agencies for further investigation and prosecution.

He noted that the interception demonstrates the military’s resolve to deny terrorists access to supplies that sustain their operations.

According to him, intelligence reports have consistently shown that terrorist groups frequently rely on illicit drugs and intoxicants to stimulate fighters, suppress fear and facilitate violent attacks. Preventing the consignment from reaching its destination, he said, has disrupted a critical component of the terrorists’ logistics chain.

The Theatre Command commended the troops for their vigilance and professionalism, assuring Nigerians that operations against terrorists and their collaborators, including cross-border networks, would continue without relent.

The military also appealed to members of the public to continue providing timely and credible intelligence to security agencies to support ongoing efforts aimed at restoring lasting peace and security across the North-east.